X-47B Future USN UACS Flies!!... video..

A couple of Hi-res photos of the X47B in flight. For Hi-res just click on the pic. Then click again once you arrive at DT.com. Simple! Enjoy!!

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (Feb. 4, 2011) An X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator completes its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base. The Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration program will demonstrate the capability of an autonomous, low-observable unmanned aircraft to perform carrier launches and recoveries. (U.S. Navy photo Courtesy Northrop Grumman/Released)

Cool plane! Is this the next naval attack plane?

Originally Posted by siegecrossbow

Cool plane! Is this the next naval attack plane?

The only funding allocated for the aircraft is for R & D and demonstration aircraft... that was in 2007. If it ever goes into full production I assume it will be a shipborne fighter/attack aircraft..

X-47B UCAS

Program Overview:
The X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned system currently under development by Northrop Grumman as part of the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. Under a contract awarded in 2007, the company has designed, developed and is currently producing two X-47B aircraft. In the 2013 timeframe, these aircraft will be used to demonstrate the first carrier-based launches and recoveries by an autonomous, low-observable relevant unmanned aircraft. The UCAS-D program will also be used to mature relevant carrier landing and integration technologies, and to demonstrate autonomous aerial refueling by the X-47B aircraft.

Foundation for the Future:
UCAS-D is designed to help the U.S. Navy explore the future of unmanned carrier aviation. A successful UCAS-D flight test program, including a series of successful carrier-based launches and recoveries, will help set the stage for the development of a more permanent, carrier-based fleet of unmanned aircraft.

X-47B Specifications
Wingspan......................................62.1 ft
Length...........................................3 8.2 ft
Altitude.......................................... > 40,000 ft
Range............................................> 2,100 nm
Top Speed.....................................High subsonic
PowerPlant....................................Prat t & Whitney F100-PW-220U
System Provisions
Autonomous Aerial Refueling........Probe & Drogue (USN)
Boom Receptacle (USAF)
Weapons Bays..............................4,500 lb
Sensors.........................................EO / IR / SAR / ISAR /
GMTI / MMTI / ESM

Not much response. So much for transparency.

If this were a Chinese aircraft we'd have about 40 pages of all sorts of responses..

Oh well..

Neat. Looks like a baby B-2. Kinda hard to see it taking off and landing on a carrier though.

Originally Posted by CardSharp

Neat. Looks like a baby B-2. Kinda hard to see it taking off and landing on a carrier though.

Why not? it's no bigger than a hornet. Shorter in fact..

F-18 Wingspan 45ft
Length 60ft

I think I saw some video on of the aircraft on an CVN.. some sort of rendering of course.

Originally Posted by bd popeye

Why not? it's no bigger than a hornet. Shorter in fact..

F-18 Wingspan 45ft
Length 60ft

I think I saw some video on of the aircraft on an CVN.. some sort of rendering of course.

I defer to you on this matter of course but my concern was with the aircraft's short length/flying wing design(my gut tells me that something long and conventional would is best for arrested landing) and how remote guidance is going to work with the challenges of a carrier landing.

Originally Posted by bd popeye

The only funding allocated for the aircraft is for R & D and demonstration aircraft... that was in 2007. If it ever goes into full production I assume it will be a shipborne fighter/attack aircraft..

X-47B UCAS

They plan on its use as an attack aircraft. It is stealthy, but in a contested environment would need manned fighter support for defense.

Payload will be JDAMs and such munitions.

Here's a page I have on it: (where I will now add this link to the video and the two high-res inflifght pics)

X47-B UCAV ready for Testing for US Navy

That US Fan art video was very well done. Of course when you have the manufacturer doing the fan art, it can be kinda nice...hehehe.

Thanks Jeff. Of course I found that video on youtube. I'm not crazy about youtube. Many of the comments on the videos are vulgar and ignorant. Never-the-less you can find what you are looking for there.

Originally Posted by bd popeye

Thanks Jeff. Of course I found that video on youtube. I'm not crazy about youtube. Many of the comments on the videos are vulgar and ignorant. Never-the-less you can find what you are looking for there.

Don't ever ever ever ever bother reading the comments on youtube! Sometimes I wish I had a censor comments option.

Any idea when they are going to test the plane on a carrier?

Originally Posted by bd popeye

Thanks Jeff. Of course I found that video on youtube. I'm not crazy about youtube. Many of the comments on the videos are vulgar and ignorant. Never-the-less you can find what you are looking for there.

OT but

That is what happens when Youtube doesnt have it's own BDPop (not any moderation there I think. User moderated at best - ex. flag as spam).
Maybe you should send in your resume and go ban-hammah-happy mode.

But siege is right. There should be an ignore comment section option in the account settings. I know posters of videos can disable the comment option.

Originally Posted by siegecrossbow

Any idea when they are going to test the plane on a carrier?

Contract calls for it to be flight tested on a carrier by 2013. Hopefully that means before 2013 as in the 2012 time frame. I expect if land based flight testing continues without too severe problems, we will see it in that time frame.

Originally Posted by ToxSic

OT but

That is what happens when Youtube doesnt have it's own BDPop (not any moderation there I think. User moderated at best - ex. flag as spam).
Maybe you should send in your resume and go ban-hammah-happy mode.

But siege is right. There should be an ignore comment section option in the account settings. I know posters of videos can disable the comment option.

Thank you! I did not know about that setting... I'll give it a go! Thanks again.

I'd like to know will Naval aviators(officers) be piloting this aircraft? Or shall enlisted? I know in the USAF officers pilot their UAVs..

Originally Posted by bd popeye

Thank you! I did not know about that setting... I'll give it a go! Thanks again.

I'd like to know will Naval aviators(officers) be piloting this aircraft? Or shall enlisted? I know in the USAF officers pilot their UAVs..

Hard to say Popeye. As it will be used as an attack aircraft, I would think they would be officers with that experience...and ultimately the specific training and background to operate them. It's an interesting question because the physical skill set will not be the same in terms of physical stamina requirements to actually fly them, though the intelligence, situational awareness, etc. will be.

it also raises other questions that will have to be worked out abd covering policy and procedures developed.

For example, you know, though our preadtor drones are serviced (fueled, maintained, etc.) in theater,the flying is done sometimes all the way back here stateside, depending on the mission. But a lot of it is done via satellite coms, though they have to maintain an in theater capability.

So, will these be flown by guys sitting down in air ops on the carrier? or will they be flown by people sitting back on land, stateside or elsewhere?

Clearly the maintenance, arming, fueling, take-off and landing will occur on the carrier.